A legal case may serve as a bit of a PSA after someone bought a used iPhone 14 Plus and later realized it didn’t work.
After some back-and-forth communication, followed by the seller ghosting the buyer, the buyer took legal action at the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal.
MM claimed $1,000 for the purchase price of the phone that he bought from TM.
In a publicly posted decision, the tribunal sided with the buyer, and here’s why.
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MM came to the small claims case prepared with a lot of evidence, including a recorded conversation between himself and a Fido employee.
According to the evidence, TM blocked the iPhone, making it so MM couldn’t unblock it. The phone had been reported stolen or lost, and the only way to unblock it was for TM to call the provider and remove the block.
The Fido employee even said the sale transaction could’ve been a scam, though the tribunal doesn’t state whether it was.
On the other hand, TM didn’t have any evidence to support his stance that MM didn’t register the phone in his name for over 30 days after the sale. He also said that he wasn’t responsible for Fido’s actions and that MM should have registered the phone in his name sooner.
MM bought the phone on January 19, 2023. On February 28, MM texted TM that the phone wasn’t working. MM asked TM to call Rogers and ask them to unblock the device. Both sides exchanged more texts until April 3, when TM stopped replying.
The tribunal determined that TM sold a phone that was not usable and that there was no evidence that TM remedied the situation to make the phone usable.
TM was ordered to not only refund MM but also pay his tribunal fees, totaling $1,206.32.
If you’re looking to buy a used iPhone, follow Apple’s advice here.